In wireless communications represented by wireless LANs compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard series, there are many setting items which have to be set before use. For example, such setting items include communication parameters required to make wireless communications such as an SSID as a network identifier, encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, and authentication key, and it is very troublesome for the user to manually input these parameters.
Hence, various manufacturers have proposed automatic setting methods that allow the user to easily set communication parameters in wireless apparatuses. With these automatic setting methods, one apparatus provides communication parameters to the other apparatus using procedures and messages, which are determined in advance between the apparatuses to be connected, thus automatically setting the communication parameters.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-311139 (to be referred to as patent reference 1 hereinafter) discloses an example of automatic communication parameter setting processing in a communication in a wireless LAN ad hoc mode (to be referred to as an ad hoc communication hereinafter). Wi-Fi CERTIFIED for Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Easing the User Experience for Home and Small Office Wi-Fi Networks, http://www.wi-fi.org/wp/wifi-protected-setup (to be referred to as non-patent reference 1 hereinafter) discloses “Wi-Fi Protected Setup” (to be abbreviated as WPS hereinafter) as the industry standard specification of the automatic communication parameter setting processing between an access point (base station) and station (terminal station). Also, Wi-Fi Protected Access Enhanced Security Implementation Based on IEEE P802.11i standard (to be referred to as non-patent reference 2 hereinafter) discloses “Wi-Fi Protected Access” (to be abbreviated as WPA hereinafter) as the industry standard specification of an encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, authentication key, and the like in wireless communication connection processing.
With the WPS, since the roles of an apparatus for providing the communication parameters (to be referred to as a providing apparatus hereinafter) and an apparatus which receives the communication parameters (to be referred to as a receiving apparatus hereinafter) are determined in advance, the transfer direction of the communication parameters is also uniquely determined.
However, when the roles of the providing apparatus and receiving apparatus are not determined in advance, the transfer direction of the communication parameters cannot be uniquely determined. In this case, when the user selects an apparatus to be used as a providing apparatus and that to be used as a receiving apparatus, user's operability impairs.
Furthermore, when a plurality of apparatuses are selected as providing apparatuses, the receiving apparatus cannot discriminate a providing apparatus from which the communication parameters are to be received.
The aforementioned problems may also occur when a new apparatus is added to a network already built between a plurality of apparatuses. In this case, it is desirable that an apparatus which is already a participant of the network serves as a providing apparatus, and a new apparatus as a prospective participant receives the communication parameters of the network. However, since the roles of the providing apparatus and receiving apparatus are not determined in advance, appropriate communication parameters cannot be set in the new apparatus as the prospective participant.
The aforementioned problems may also occur not only in the communication parameters of wireless communications but also in those of wired communications that require settings in communications between apparatuses.